What You Don't See
by electrateazer
Summary: My story about Gertrude, the little bluebird from Seussical the Musical, and her life story. Please RR! Look, I've finally updated! OMG!
1. Things of the Past Now

**Author's notes: Okay, so this is my little story about one of the main characters in Seussical the Musical, Gertrude McFuzz. It sort of bothered me that there were no Seussical stories, so I decided to add my own. For those of you who don't know, Gertrude is a little bluebird who doesn't really view herself as someone beautiful...or bold...or witty...All because of her abnormally one-feathered tail and the fact that people...er...ANIMALS make fun of it. If you've ever seen the show, you'll know how much of a crush Gertrude has on a certain elephant...-cough-...Horton...-cough- So this first chapter is Gertrude's past through when the musical starts. The next few chapters will be her point of view during the musical. I hope you enjoy it! Please R/R!**

**Disclaimer:...Do I LOOK like Stephen Flaherty or Lynn Ahrens to you?**

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Chapter 1: Gertrude's Past

Sigh. A little bird sat, depressed, among the leaves of her mother's nest. She was old enough to be out on her own in the world, but what place had she to go? The little bluebird, who's name was Gertrude McFuzz, called out finally in her boredom.

"Isn't there any place for me to go, mom?" she asked impatiently as her mother searched through a little booklet of dwelling locations that her daughter might be able to make her home in.

"Not yet, dear," the elder bird stated. "All the places here are filled with carnivores." Gertrude involuntarily shuddered as her mother continued. "And you know that everywhere you go, they'll most likely…," she hesitated. "Make fun of you."

Gertrude pouted indignantly. She turned around and glared at her pathetic excuse for a tail behind her.

'What kind of bird has a one feather tail?' she asked herself time and time again, and this time was no different.

"I guess you'll just have to stay with me a bit longer," her mother stated quietly, a touch of happiness in her voice that was unnoticed by Gertrude.

'I suppose I'll just have to make other plans for that…,' Gertrude's mind wandered mischievously.

That night, Gertrude went to sleep beside her mother just like any other night. The older bird fell asleep quite quickly, which Gertrude was glad for. She quietly stood in the nest, and gathered her belongings, carefully making sure that her mother did not awake. A few minutes later, the little bluebird with the one feather tail was ready to set out on her own, determined to find the one true home that she could call her own.

'And maybe,' she thought. 'I'll be able to find…one small voice in the universe…'

She racked her brain for the right words to describe what she truly wanted.

'One true…friend in the universe…who believes in me…'

The young bird smiled happily at the thought of someone who truly cared for her…besides her mother. She turned to look at the bird that had raised her, remembering that it might be a long time before she would be able to see her again. Carefully bending down to meet the level her mother was on, Gertrude whispered quietly, her voice filled with emotion.

"I'm sorry, mom," she whispered. "But this is something I have to do on my own…I-I promise I'll visit as soon as I can…Whe-Whenever that is…I love you, mom……goo-goodbye…"

Gertrude stood back up, reluctantly turning her back on the other bird and flying off into the distance, unknowing of where she was headed. If she had stayed just a bit longer, she would have heard the small whisper behind her.

"Be careful, Gertrude."

Later…

"Ooh! How will I ever find someplace nice!" Gertrude muttered impatiently as she landed on the soft ground at a location she didn't yet know the whereabouts of.

She had already been to at least ten previous places, only to find that it didn't suit her liking. All the people in the other areas had ridiculed her, as she had already known would happen, but she was already determined to find some home where at least one person wouldn't make fun of her.

"Hey, what's that puny little thing?" a voice came from behind Gertrude.

'Puny!' Gertrude thought as she huffed indignantly, turning around to face a group of monkeys with a kangaroo at the head.

"Seems she doesn't like what we said, ey?" one of the monkeys stated cruelly.

"As a matter of fact, I didn't!" Gertrude replied boldly. The kangaroo, who apparently seemed to be the leader, began to laugh.

"Looks like this one has a bit of an attitude, boys," the kangaroo continued.

Another monkey with a very deep voice replied.

"Well have to fix that then, now won't we?"

Gertrude gulped. This wasn't going to turn out well. The kangaroo and the three monkeys advanced towards her, grinning cruelly. Gertrude began to turn around, intending to flee when she almost ran into a much taller figure that was looming over.

'Oh, great…,' Gertrude thought, seeing what the figure was. 'This is just my luck to run into an elephant…,'

She looked up slowly, expecting to see the elephant glaring down at her, as elephants tended to do to smaller life-forms. Gertrude gasped in surprise when she noticed the elephant was glaring, but not at herself. He glared in despise at the gang of a kangaroo and monkeys and spoke in a soft, kind voice…or at least that's what Gertrude supposed his voice usually was like. Right now it was filled with hate.

"Leave her alone, all of you," he spoke firmly, noting to use a warning tone in his voice. The kangaroo huffed in a hip-hoppish tone, and strode off with the rest of her pack.

The elephant turned to look down at Gertrude, smiling gently. Gertrude smiled back, silently thanking this new…um…hopefully…friend.

"My name's Horton," the elephant stated, noticing the lack of conversation.

Gertrude flushed slightly.

"I'm Gertrude," she replied bashfully, looking at her own feet.

Horton smiled and soon left Gertrude to stand by herself. She noted where he was headed and soon decided to follow suit.

'Maybe this place will be nice,' she thought, pushing through a small bundle of bushes.

Gertrude gasped. What she saw before her was…absolutely BEAUTIFUL! The area was filled with a lush jungle inhabited by different animals that waved to her as she passed…well…actually they waved until they saw her tail. Then they would try to suppress a snicker and would turn their backs to her.

But Gertrude didn't care. She had just met someone who was actually kind to her, even though he didn't really know her, and therefore, she didn't care about anything else that would ruin her day.

Passing by an overly large purple tree, Gertrude suddenly heard a bold, yet lazy, voice sounding above her.

"Why hello, little bluebird. Come to join the…um…I guess you could call them "friendly" people of The Jungle of Nool?"

The small bird looked up to see another bird looking back at her, a snobby expression framing her face. Gertrude noticed that this bird was a glittery pink color and was obviously a bit of a show-off.

"Why…um…Well, I was thinking about it."

"The name's Mayzie, kid," the pink bird stated. "In case you didn't already know. Everybody here MUST know who I am."

Gertrude nodded, not really caring that she had met Mayzie. She figured she would have been better off not knowing her in the first place.

"Where can I talk to the um…well…whoever can give me somewhere to live?" Gertrude asked politely. Mayzie seemed disappointed that the attention had been taken away from her, but she pointed towards a round cave with a little swamp outside of it none the less.

Gertrude nodded her thanks and trotted off towards the cavern. Upon reaching the entrance, she noticed a slightly overlarge red and white hat lying on the ground.

"Now what's this?" she wondered aloud, reaching down to pick it up. Suddenly a large, black figure came and snatched the hat off the ground. Gertrude looked up to the figure to find it was…a really big cat!

The cat that was now in the hat looked up to notice Gertrude standing there.

"Why hello there!" he said. "What brings you here to our little town?"

"I'm looking for a home…," Gertrude answered shyly.

"Well! Right this way, Miss…?" he paused, looking at Gertrude for an answer.

"Miss Gertrude McFuzz," Gertrude replied, smiling a little.

The Cat in the Hat seemed to be one who liked lots of stories…and who also liked to make up titles of stories. He noticed the small tail that was part of Gertrude's frame and decided to make up a little story title of it.

"The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz," he stated cheerfully as Gertrude smiled warily.

It seemed only a short amount of time before the two reached a nice sized grass hut which lay next to a larger house made of leaves.

Gertrude stepped into the smaller grass hut and was pleased with what she saw.

Stepping back out, she listened to the Cat in the Hat as he spoke again.

"Is everything to your liking?" he asked.

Gertrude nodded eagerly, ready to finally have a home of her own.

One year later…

A small-framed bluebird stepped silently out into the morning sun. She looked like your typical next door neighbor. Slippers, dress, un-brushed feathers, etc. made up her wardrobe.

Gertrude yawned sleepily, greeting the cool breeze that flowed into her mouth. She turned to her left, ready to start her daily routine. This routine started with a longing gaze at her next door neighbor, Horton's, house (No surprise there, eh?). She followed suit by doing whatever need be done for her day.

The afternoon followed pleasantly enough with Gertrude trying her best to avoid the Sour Kangaroo and her follower monkeys, whose names Gertrude now knew were the Wickersham Brothers. As she sat silently outside of her home, Gertrude lazily watched the different inhabitants that she now had gotten used to after year. The Sour Kangaroo and The Wickersham Brothers were busy yelling at The Cat in the Hat while he annoyed them to a great extent. Mayzie was sitting up in her tree, smoothing her feathers. Gertrude looked around a bit and practically fell over with delight when she saw Horton enter the jungle.

Gertrude suddenly noticed that a few people were staring at her oddly, and she turned and scampered into her house, afraid that Horton would see her.

She made herself some purple tea and sat down on one of her VERY cushy chairs. All was silent in the Jungle. Gertrude could smell the beautiful summer breeze wafting through her hut. She was perfectly content…

A dominant voice suddenly sounded outside.

"You're the Biggest Blame Fool in the Jungle of Nool…"

Gertrude raised an eyebrow. Who was a fool?

Then she heard it…She could plainly make Horton's voice talking in a defensive manner.

"It's true, please believe me!" she could hear him plead.

Gertrude huffed, bravery building in her small frame, as she marched outside, unknowing of the giant roller-coaster that was about to unfold on her life.

To be continued…

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**Author's notes: I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! And please review!...Don't leave a poor little thing like me out in the cold...-whimper- Anyways, I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can, but it might take a while...Hey! Don't look at me! You can blame cheerleading, Student Council, CATS, Honor's Band, and the term exams that I have to study for soon!**


	2. Is there another story unheard?

What You Don't See

Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I don't own Seussical!

_Okay,_ I thought, my head held as I marched courageously out of my small little hut. _Nobody messes with Horton without having to get through me first._

I tried desperately to push through the crowd that stood in a tight circle around him, I really did, but I was lucky enough to spot an opening through a purplish-looking creature and a Guzzat. Rushing past, I prepared myself to tell off that no good, worthless piece of animal that calls herself a kangaroo. Finally, I reached the opening of the circle and…well, I hate to admit it, but I froze in my tracks. You can't blame me, really. You see, as soon as I got there, one of the Wickersham Brothers seemed to have caught my gaze. _Shudder_, I never knew how menacing a monkey could look. I mean, come on!

Before he had a chance to say anything to me, I felt a light brush of fur at my side, and the Wickersham Brother rolled his eyes and turned away. I looked for the furry source that had touched my feathers, only to find The Cat in the Hat standing there…with a microphone…I was so baffled, thinking that he was planning some crazed musical number, that I barely picked up the Sour Kangaroo's voice saying something like R.E.S.P.E.C.K. …and singing it like Aretha Franklin.

_Has the world finally gone mad? _My mind wandered. _Is this just some weird nightmare, or have I been trapped in some psychotic musical? …Have _I _gone mad? Maybe I should visit the asylum…_

My head was spinning. I finally looked at the Cat and started to speak.

"Cat?"

"Yes, Miss McFuzz?"

Ugh. I hate the word Miss. It makes me sound like I haven't had a date in my life…which I haven't. I just wish he would call me Gertrude or something. Anything! I just don't want anything in front of my name until I can say Mrs. Insert new last name here.

"Call me Gertrude."

He nodded. "Alright…Gertrude. That's a weird name."

"Gee, thanks…Um, what are you doing?"

"Going to interview peoples."

"But…you're not a reporter."

"So?"

"…Never mind."

The Cat strolled out into the center of the clearing and started to speak into the mike.

"Our topic today is psychic elephants who hear voices," he said. "What do you think folks, is the elephant off his trunk? Don't go away, we'll be right back with speck, clover, dust, neighbor" –he turned and looked at me- "who. Stay tuned!"

_Neighbor_…I thought. _Oh! He means me!_

I ran up to the Cat, and he turned and winked. I could feel Horton watching the two of us with curiosity.

"I'm Gertrude McFuzz, and I live right next door," I spoke into the microphone. "He's never done anything before!"

I looked out of the corner of my eye to see Horton frowning, holding this clover that I suspected to be the cause of all of these problems.

_Time to pick up the pace, _I decided.

"He's always been friendly…and loyal…and kind! I just don't believe Horton's out of his mind!"

I snuck another look out of the corner of my eye to see my beloved elephant with quite a confused look framing his features. He probably didn't except anyone to stand up for him like I was. I opened my mouth to speak once more when I got an unpleasant jab in the ribs that pushed me away from the microphone. I looked back to see Mayzie in the spotlight now. Oh, great.

"I'm Mayzie LaBird and I live in that tree!" she said, pointing to a place among the branches. "Enough about Horton, let's talk about me!"

Yup. I was completely disgusted with Mayzie. Anyways, I turned to where Horton sat with the clover. He gave me a small smile, and I mustered up the best grin that could fit on my face. I would stand up for Horton no matter what, and then maybe he'll notice me for who I am. I was going to make sure of that.

Just then, I could hear the animals criticizing Horton for…Um…Talking to a speck of dust? So there must have been a dust speck on the clover he was holding. The Sour Kangaroo continued with her complaints of Horton being a fool; this time one of the Wickershams joined along in her rants.

The torturing of this sweet elephant that I'd come to know and love continued perpetually. I mentally groaned. I struggled to reach him, but I was recklessly pushed aside by others. Unfortunately, I let my anger get a hold of me. Turning to Mayzie, I glared at her. She smiled snobbily at me and shooed me with her hand. I pouted. Listening to the murmured gossip of my neighbors, I picked up on the strife. Horton was obviously believed to be talking to some small person on the dust speck. He claimed to have rescued them from drowning by gently depositing them on the clover. I made an endeavor to quiet the ruckus of the Jungle Citizens. To my shock, no one would listen to me! When I would ask them to stop, I would end up with an ignorant paw in my face or the loser sign!

And personally, I think I was about to strangle the young kangaroo. Her mother was definitely a bad influence on the little thing, and it was just…so…aggravating. I stepped forward to say something to the two marsupials, but I found myself halted in a matter of seconds. Swiftly, I turned on my heel to gaze at my beloved Horton as he spoke.

"I just have to save them, because after all…" he began. His voice went through my veins as if it had come from an angel. I would listen to anything he told me and believe it. So now, I had no doubt that there very well could be someone on that clover he held so dear. I gave in and let his voice soothe me.

"A person's a person, no matter how small," he concluded. The words rang through my head. Those few words held a lot of hidden meaning, I realized. I liked them.

"A person's a person," I repeated. I didn't think Horton could hear me. Why should he? "No matter how…"

The Citizens cut me off, ranting more about Horton's seemingly foolish behavior. I stood beside a tree, mulling over some things in my head. I despised my town folk now for abruptly taking away that one precious moment that I had just been a part of. My small muscles tensed. I was going to make it known, I decided, that I loved Horton, whether he loved me back or not. I denied that the answer was most likely not. I no longer would stand for retreating to the sidelines whenever he was in danger. I was going to be courageous! They were going to believe me when I said that Horton could be telling the truth! I would…Uh, never mind. I had caught the eye of Honey, the orange colored bird among Mayzie's followers. She glared at me, measuring the height and width of my diminutive body with her stare, as if to state how pathetic I was. I shrunk back against the tree, landing with a thud on the jungle floor. Geez, that bird scared me. She was the Bird Girl that treated me the worst. I could feel moisture on the edges of my eyes as Honey pursed her beak, her eyes stating to get lost; this wasn't the place for me. I wasn't welcome here…

I barely noticed the creatures trickling away from the clearing. Slowly, I looked up and shook my head, attempting to rid of the tears that sat precariously in my eyes. I was suddenly startled out of my train of thought by a gentle tap on my shoulder. Looking up, I locked eyes with Robin, the Bird Girl of a pink and green feather variety. To my right I could spot the forms of the other birds, Mayzie, Honey, Lulu, Lilly, and Carrie, and I wondered why Robin was away from her clique, looming over me. I noticed the concern on her features.

"You like him, don't you?" she inquired, tilting her feathered head in Horton's direction. I gave her a questioning look, curious as to why she was even being nice to me, let alone talking to me. She sighed.

"We'll talk later, okay?"

I nodded hesitantly.

Robin swiftly turned on her heel and strode off into the depths of the forest, not sparing me another glance. My attention swiveled back to Horton, who was being pestered by The Wickersham Brothers. Oh, how I wish I had the nerve to stand up for him. The monkeys fled from the scene, and before I knew it, my thoughts of the day were being spoken. It took me a moment to realize that I was the one who was speaking.

"On the fifteenth of May, Miss Gertrude McFuzz discovered how truly unique Horton was. But she knew to approach him would probably fail, 'cause who'd notice a bird with a one-feather tail?" I sighed. It was true. Glaring at my pathetic blue feather, I began to walk along the path Robin had taken. I could feel the Cat's golden eyes on my retreating form, and I refused to imagine why he was about to speak with Horton. My pace began to slow, and I felt tired due to all my emotions. Yet, that didn't stop me from letting out a small yelp as a hand clamped over my mouth.

"Shh!" Robin whispered, stepping out of the shadows as she removed her hand. "I can't let Mayzie hear me. She'll kill me if she found out I was talking to you."

"Gee, thanks," I retorted.

"Sorry, but you have to admit that you aren't very popular around these parts."

"True."

The subject quickly changed as Robin grabbed my wrist and led me in the direction of her home.

"Come on," she stated. "I think it's time we had a girl-to-girl talk."

Oh, someone help me.


	3. Nothing Simple can be Made Beautiful

I'd never been much of a girly-girl, that much was true. Therefore, I found it increasingly difficult to talk to Robin about my feelings and all that junk without making a fool out of myself. Robin seemed to understand that fact, for she took our conversation slowly and didn't use much of the modern slang that I couldn't keep up with.

"What's going on, Gerdy?" she asked curiously.

Great. A nickname. Now isn't that pleasant?

"I'm not sure how to explain it, Robin," I said. The truth was, I was afraid to confide in this bird that had never really shown herself as a friend to me.

"Oh, come on! There has to be something that you're not telling me!" she paused. "Listen, Gertrude, I'm not really like the other birds around here. I just got dragged into that clique'. You can trust me…I'd prefer to be your friend rather than theirs."

Well, that was enough for me. If it was a mistake, then it would just be another chapter in the story of my life.

"Alright," I grinned. "What do you want to know?"

We had been walking through the forest for about five minutes now, and Robin stopped and perched herself on a stone among ten others just like it. I took a spot on the rock next to her.

"Hmm," she mocked being in thought. "Well, I'd just like to ask…You like him, don't you?"

My face flushed in embarrassment.

"I-uh…yeah…"

"I thought as much… Well, what are you going to do about it?"

I froze as my muscles tensed. Robin stood up again and pulled me to my feet.

"Why should I do anything about it?" I inquired as we started walking again. "It's not like he'll ever really notice me."

Robin pondered on my statement for a few moments.

"He's not blind, Gerdy," she answered, using that nickname again. "He's just a typical male. There has to be something that we can do that would break through to him."

"But what?" I whispered, almost to the point of desperation now. We were at Robin's house. I walked in and sat down on the fluffy pink couch. Being comfortable around Robin was becoming more and more easy once I realized her true potential as a friend.

"I think it's time you changed," Robin stated matter-of-factly, taking her seat in the chair opposite me. My look was incredulous as I hesitantly spoke.

"I-in what way?" I asked her, my anxious eyes giving my calm features away.

Robin smiled comfortingly. "Perhaps your looks and your overall boldness to start with."

I groaned. Was she really going to go through with that? She pulled me up, placing me next in a chair settled in front of a vanity mirror. I guess the answer to my question would be yes…

"We're going to need some expert help with this makeover!" she squealed, suddenly enthusiastic. Great. I mentally sighed as she picked up a long, oddly shaped phone receiver.

She talked and nodded a few times. Robin hung up, and in a matter of minutes, the person she had called was at the door.

"Hello, ladies!" a familiar voice called as a figure stepped into my vision. I raised an eyebrow and immediately regretted ever going to Robin's house. For there stood the Cat, decked in a toupee', apron, and holding a red and white makeup bag, in the hallway.

I glared at Robin. She brought him here?! Geez, as if I hadn't seen enough of him! Before I could say a word, the two had begun to work on my feathers, face, and outfit.

I sighed in relief when, hours later, the job was done. I examined myself in the vanity mirror, contemplating the fact that I no longer looked like Gertrude McFuzz. The two messy knots of feathers on my head had been untangled and efficiently preened. In fact, all of my feathers had been preened. Makeup had been applied to all the sections of my face. It seemed slightly scary that I, Gertrude McFuzz, looked more like Mayzie LaBird!

"See, Gertrude," the Cat whispered in my ear. "You actually can be beautiful if you really try."

I looked at him doubtfully. Even with the phenomenal changes in my appearance, I still didn't consider myself to be in the same class as any of the other birds. I wasn't beautiful. No matter what anyone else said, I knew the truth. Seeing as I was already 21, I most likely would never be beautiful. Yet, my makeover would have to do. Horton might just mull over the fact that I had changed almost everything about me –almost everything; I glared at my tail-

just for him. …ALL for him. So there just might be hope.

I faked a large grin as I stood to hug Robin and the Cat. They both looked so pleased with themselves.

_Idiots, _I thought. _They'll never be able to make me beautiful…no one will._

"Well," Robin grinned. "Go on. Go try your new look out!"

Eh, maybe this just might work…I don't know, I'm such an indecisive bird.

I sniffled as I sat in the shade of my house, Robin lurking in the corner. I could feel a small stream of tears trickle down my cheek.

"I'm sorry, Gerdy," Robin said into the silence, slowly shaking her head. "I really thought it would work… This is my entire fault…"

"No, it's my fault…," I whispered, looking down at my feet. "It's just me. It's me that he'll never notice… Just me."

It had been over a week since my little "makeover," and Horton had still failed to notice me…Even though I had built up the courage to stand next to him once, he had protectively stared at his clover. I had waved at him, and he hadn't even spared me a glance.

I ranted a little.

"Sure, he notices those little people on the clover, but does he notice me? No!"

"Gertrude," Robin stated hesitantly. "There are no people on that clover…"

"I believe him!" I suddenly shouted as my voice shot through an octave. Robin stared at me, eyes wide.

Robin gracefully strode over to me and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"…M-maybe you should go see Dr. Dake," she tried to comfortably state. "I hear he's not only a doctor, but a psychiatrist. I understand how much you love Horton, but if you think there are people on the clover too, then-"

I abruptly threw her hand off of me. She held it closely to her. I supposed I must have accidentally scraped her. Good.

"As a matter of fact, I do think there are people on that clover! For, unlike you, I believe in Horton! And personally, I have not the slightest idea why you don't believe him too!"

Robin stared at me incredulously.

"G-Gertrude…," she started. "I'm sorry, but I think you've lost it."

"I have not lost it!"

I was in her face now. Robin arched her back and leaned towards the floor a little so as to avoid direct contact.

"Gertrude!" she desperately cried. "I enjoyed helping you try to get him to notice you, because I like to play matchmaker, no matter who the people are…But in all truth, he is insane! He hears voices and actually talks back! Now I just want to save you from becoming a nutcase too."

I straightened my back, my head pounding.

"Robin…," I said. "I don't understand why you won't believe me! You are my friend, aren't you?"

Ooh, I had pulled that question on her. I made a mental note that this might get interesting.

"Of course I am!" Robin retorted. "I just… I just don't know how to believe you…"

She then stepped towards the door, opening it slightly.

"I hope you get this all straightened out, for I'm afraid I can't help you," Robin said. "Bye…" She gave me a smile that didn't quite reach her austere eyes. The door closed behind her retreating figure.

_Great, _I thought. _Now she thinks _I'm _insane._

I felt myself sink into one of my fluffy chairs as I sat down. My head moved to rest in my hands. There I sat for about five minutes until I finally peeked out to my right, looking for something to console me. There, lying on the floor, was my small, turquoise ukulele. I loved to practice the small musical instrument, and I was surprised to know the fact that since I moved to the Jungle of Nool, I had written 436 love songs. I had never written songs, much less love songs, before, and all of the songs seemed to be based towards one person… I must say that they all failed miserably.

I stared at the instrument through my hands. It seemed to beckon me…No! Never again would I attempt to get his attention through song! The ukulele shone in the dim moonlight, seemingly saddened by my thoughts. It glimmered all the more, forcibly gaining my attention. The thing just wouldn't give up. I sighed.

Eh, one more try wouldn't hurt.


	4. Green and pink don't bode well

**Green and Pink Don't Bode Well**

**Disclaimer: Seriously, I don't own this musical**

**Chapter Summary: Listen to nothing the musical, Wicked, entrusts you to believe. Gertrude's lime green feathers and Mayzie's high-class pink just don't seem to match up quite right. The infamous clique of birds make their entrance upon Gertrude's guitar time, but can they be trusted?**

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Slowly, I placed my foot outside of my door, ukulele in hand. I took each step carefully, so I wouldn't trip and hurt myself even further than my heart already was. I strummed a few simple notes as I walked, not really paying attention to the music. My wings flapped as I moved to perch on the limb of a tree, and there I sat, alone in the moonlight. I became slightly more aware of the instrument in front of me, and I began to project my feelings into song off the top of my head.

"Love song for Horton…," I whispered, saddened. "…Number four hundred thirty-seven…"

"Thank you," I held up a hand to my invisible audience.

"Dadoo, Dadoo, Dadoo, Doo doo doo doo doo," I scatted into the night. "There once was a girl bird named Gertrude McFuzz, and she had the smallest plain tail ever was…"

The words began to flow out of my mouth as if they were there the whole time.

"One droopy-droop feather, that's all that she had," I belted the note out, the ukulele following along. Don't ask me where the word droopy-droop came from… I wouldn't be able to answer. I shot my tail an irritated glance as my song floated onwards.

"And, oh, that one feather made Gertrude so sad," I hung my head in shame. I imagined my audience throwing me pitied glances, and I attempted to tell the unseen people my story.

"She curled it, she dyed it, she gave it a puff!" I gestured with my hand, pretending to puff up the air. "She decked it with flowers, but it wasn't enough…" I sighed.

"For no matter what, it just was what it was!" another note that I belted out, I continued to strum, carefully hitting the right chords and what-not. "A tail that simply wasn't meant to catch the eye of an elephant!" I could just envision the audience giving me some strange looks, so I made a face as if to say, _So what. I'm in love with a different species. Sue me!_

"The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz," I finished, using the Cat's title for me and flinching and the use of the word Miss. The invisible crowd below me applauded in my mind, and I jumped down from the tree to bow. Wow, sometimes one can really let their imagination go…

I prepared to strum another note into my ukulele when the instrument was rapidly stripped from my grasp. I turned to look at the instrument's kidnapper only to see the Cat looming over my face. I stared incredulously at him, and he hastily pointed to something beyond my head.

I turned to the right to see a flurry of feathers rapidly approaching. Mayzie and her Bird Girl posse were heading towards me, chatting with each other and creating remarks concerning my tail all the way. My features formed a confused expression, and I anxiously waved as they passed, but my body tensed as I locked eyes with Robin's bright green ones. She looked to me in sympathy, so I figured she was still under the impression that I was insane like my crush.

The birds paused to my right side, and Mayzie stepped up to plate in front of me.

"Poor little Gertrude!" she tutted, taking in my appearance. She began advancing towards me; I backed up for fear of being run over. The pink bird murmured as she continued.

"A sorry sight…" she laid a would-be compassionate hand on my shoulder as she firmly pressed and smiled. "Well, I'm going to take you under my wing, and, baby, you'll be alright!"

Her hand became a bit more firm, and I toppled backwards into the grass. I glared up at her. Who did she think I was to treat me so childishly? Just because I was small in stature and sometimes had the personality of a child didn't mean I was one!

Oh wait… It quickly dawned on me that I was currently acting quite juvenile. I mentally straightened my attitude, realizing that Mayzie had been speaking and I hadn't been listening. Not that I really cared. I picked up on her speech.

"One pathetic feather was all I grew!"

My head tilted curiously. Was she making fun of me? I listened some more, interest gaining, and I grasped that she was discussing her own past.

"I had nothing show-off-ish! What's a plain bird to do? …and there's certainly nothing show-off-ish on you!"

My childlike subconscious took over to my dismay as I retorted sarcastically to Mayzie.

"Thank you, Mayzie."

I felt my feet turn inwards, and I turned my face away, arms crossed. I was pouting, and I couldn't control it. I decided to ignore Mayzie's words.

"Then I made a plan for my self-improvement. 'No more crumbs!' I vowed; I would have the cake! Yes, I went to the doctor…"

Something caught my attention; I peered over at her, and made an inquiry.

"Doctor Dake by the lake?" The Bird Girls nodded as they repeated the name with me.

Mayzie decided to ignore us. "And he told me what sort of a pill I could take!" she beamed wildly. Her arms began to rise like she was the best thing in this jungle… Oh, please. Furthermore, I began to create a fool of myself by gaping at Mayzie's fabulous tail. I stood, my eye's growing with envy at the pink and red flurry of feathers.

"Now I'm Amayzing Mayzie, as feathered as feathered can be now! Amayzing Mayzie, it was all for sale!"

Wait. Was she just singing?! My gosh, I really was trapped in a musical! It had just come to my attention that she had been singing through out her entire speech. Of course, I suppose that crazy singing animals are what you get when you live in the Jungle of Nool…

Mayzie did a little hip jive that took me by surprise. I drew back slightly in time to her beats. She continued as the Bird Girls began to speak… or sing… with her.

"Amayzing Mayzie!" they all sang out in unison.

"The birds are all whistling at me now!" Mayzie smiled and pointed to herself. I grew excited. Was there a chance that this could happen to me? Was this the solution to my ever-growing problem?

"Amayzing Mayzie!" I could hear the unison once again. I then realized that I was around an inch away from Mayzie, looking at her in anticipation. My eyes were almost begging her to continue. She sized me up with a pathetic look.

"Baby, that's my tail!" she declared, bestowing me with an unpleasant hip bump as I stumbled off to my right.

"High or low," the Bird Girls said to me, so I felt it my obligation to reply… even though I had no idea what they had just said…

"Gee, it's fabulous!" I stated, referring to Mayzie's tail.

"Watch her go," they now pointed towards Mayzie who was prancing around in the grass.

"Gee, I'm envious," I slipped out, growing hungry for feathers like Mayzie's.

"To and fro, Mayzie's fabulous tail!"

I leaned against Honey, idly speaking to her. She quickly threw me off, grabbed my arm, and spun me around as if I were a top. All the while, one could hear me trying to speak through the wind roaring past my ears.

"I wish I had one like it!"

"Left and right," the Bird Girls continued, ignoring my dizziness.

"Best I've ever seen," I stammered almost drunkenly, the world spinning around my face.

"Day or night," that little Supreme-ish group said in their own language… or at least it was to me. I still was clueless as to what they were referring to.

"Kid, you're turning green," I heard Mayzie's voice from behind me. I looked to her to see the bird eyeing me in mock concern. I supposed she thought her tail was so fabulous as to make me "green" with envy, which wasn't even possible. I should know. I looked it up in the Seussinary. Actually, I was feeling quite sick from my recent adventure as a child's spinning top toy.

"What a sight, Mayzie's fabulous tail!"

Well, I understood them that time. That's a relief.

Mayzie scatted a little bird call that carried on the breeze. She raised her arms again, and I felt so excited as to follow along. My arms rose too, but I must admit that I'm not as graceful as Mayzie. I proceeded to look like a total idiot, flailing my feathers about as Mayzie continued to speak.

"Get those pills…"

"Get the pills!" the Bird Girls chanted after their leader.

"And you can have frills!"

"Frills!"

"Your Horton is certain to see!"

That did it. I'm sure anyone else would have thought I was undergoing some sort of convulsion, but I was just too happy for words to express. My feet twisted every which way to my own unknown rhythm, and my hands stretched to the sky, reaching for every hope, every dream, every fear, and every worry that I possessed. To believe all of it had come from the pseudo encouraging words Mayzie fed me. It sounded so true though, and for once in my life, I didn't doubt the pink bird.

"And you can be amayzing…"

My features broke into a grin as my body formed a pose caused by my joy. I guess I must have looked insanely strange with my 'unique' dancing skills, because…

"Well… almost as amayzing as me!" Mayzie's voice screeched to a halt.

Well, I have heard of something called the 'superstar' pose, but I didn't think I quite new how to do it until this moment. My knees buckled and hit the dirt as my fingers pointed upwards in the classic rocker style. I sat like that for a moment, before I became aware of the strange looks my fellow birds were shooting me. It was then that I realized…

Superstar poses aren't 'cool,' are they?


End file.
